Deliciously savoury and warming, this chicken pie is classic without the long-winded preparation required for many recipes.
A “golden” buttery puff pastry top conceals the flavoursome filling, combining onions, chicken and herbs.
There’s no need to add cream, as the chicken and vegetables’ naturally thick juices combine to make a lovely sauce.
This recipe’s simplicity of preparation makes it particularly great for busy weeknights. Jamie Oliver’s version can be made in just 30 minutes, perfect for when you’re craving something wholesome but are short on time.
As debuted in the cookbook Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients, the chef described the pie as “quick and easy”, just like the other dishes in his repertoire.
Jamie Oliver’s chicken pie
Ingredients
- Two white onions
- 600g chicken thighs, skin off, bone out
- 350g mixed mushrooms
- One bunch of fresh thyme (30g)
- 375g block of all-butter puff pastry (cold)
Method
First, preheat the oven to 220C, and then prepare a large frying pan over high heat on the stove. This is where you should cook the filling. A 30cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan is best, but you’ll also need a smaller non-stick pan set alongside medium heat.
Pour one tablespoon of olive oil into the larger pan and leave to sizzle. Meanwhile, as the oil heats up, peel and roughly chop the onions, adding them to the larger pan as you go.
Jamie noted that leeks can be used instead if onions aren’t readily available for cooking or for extra flavour. Roughly chop two-thirds of the thighs, finely chop the rest, and add to the onion pan. Cook for six minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.
While you can use chicken breast instead, this cut is very low in fat, unlike chicken thighs, which are high in fat. The saying goes in cooking that fat equals flavour, plus it also means the thighs are more tender and less likely to dry out than chicken breasts.
Tear up the mushrooms and add them to the dry pan. Leave them to toast for four minutes until nutty, then tip into the chicken pan and strip in half the thyme leaves.
Remove the pan from the heat, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then stir in one tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 150ml of water.
It’s important to work quickly as you roll out the pastry. Continue to do so until it’s 2cm bigger than the pan, then place it over the filling, using a wooden spoon to push it into the edges.
Criss-cross the pastry lightly with a knife, then brush with one teaspoon of olive oil. Finally, poke the remaining thyme sprigs into the middle of the pie.
